GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College used a balanced effort to earn a Thursday evening victory over cross-town rival Greensboro College, 68-54.
Greensboro opened up the contest with an 8-point lead, 10-2, 2:19 into the first half before Guilford exploded to a 29-5 run to create distance from the Pride. Greensboro countered in the final 2:49 of the period with an 8-1 run. The Pride cut the Quaker lead to six with 8:59 remaining in the contest before the Quakers extended their lead to 13 points with 2:08 left in the period, their largest lead of the half.
Amy Steller (Advance, N.C./Davie) led all scorers, coming off the bench to score 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. Anais Weatherly (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) represented the remaining Quaker in double-figure scoring, totaling 11 points while adding three assists and three steals.
Greensboro’s Joslyn Spires led Greensboro’s scoring with 11 points while providing a team-leading five assists. Vontreece Hayes added 8 points and 13 rebounds, including 11 offensive rebounds.
The Pride out-rebounded the Quakers, 60-38, on the power of 32 offensive rebounds. Greensboro earned 17 second-chance points on the offensive glass while the Quakers produced 13 points off 13 offensive rebounds. The Quakers converted 27 Greensboro miscues into 19 points while the Pride produced 13 points from 18 Guilford turnovers.
The Quakers shot 36.4 percent from the field, including 44 percent in the second half. Greensboro shot 29.3 percent from the field consistently throughout the contest. Guilford’s advantage came at the foul lane, shooting 24-of-39 from the charity stripe. Greensboro made eight free throws in 14 trips to the foul line. Both teams combined for 50 fouls for the game.
Guilford’s bench outscored the Pride, 33-16, on the power of Steller’s 12 points and Heaven Walters’ (Yadkinville, N.C./Starmount) nine points.
The Quakers (6-1, 1-0 ODAC) return to action Saturday, traveling to Virginia Wesleyan College for a 2 p.m. Old Dominion Athletic Conference contest.